This article originally appeared on Brighthand.com.
Though rumors persist, most still say RIM's BlackBerry Thunder -- its first touchscreen smartphone -- is still in development, which is going at a very slow rate.
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Kate Gerwig, Editorial Director
Users anticipating its
arrival this fall will have to continue to wait.
Although rumors about the BlackBerry Thunder have been circulating for months, these have been somewhat vague on when this smartphone will be released. According the the latest information, RIM is still a long way away from being ready to introduce its first device with a touchscreen.
An unnamed source has given Boy Genius Report a description of the current state of the Thunder's development. This can be summed up with a single word: bad.
There are supposedly both hardware and software problems. Among the worst of these is very slow response to screen touches. There's a half-second delay when tapping letters on the on-screen keyboard.
Also, there are reportedly problems with this device's accelerometer.
BGR's source said, "Thunder is in no way shape or form market-ready. If Bold was any indication, Thunder won't be ready for at least another 4-5 months."
More about the BlackBerry Thunder
Smartphones with touchscreens are all the rage now, and it appears even RIM isn't going to buck the
trend.
According to various leaks and rumors, the BlackBerry Thunder will have a tablet shape with a relatively large screen.
It will supposedly depend almost entirely on its touchscreen for input. There'll be no hardware keyboard, not even a sliding one, nor a trackball. There are, however, a full collection of standard control buttons.
One of the leaked images has the Verizon Wireless logo, which means it will run on CDMA wireless networks, but a wide variety of carriers are likely to eventually offer this model, including ones that use the GSM standard.